Bearcats coach Mick Cronin has turned down coaching offers from schools such as North Carolina State and, most recently, Minnesota in the past two years.

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The emotional ties he has to his old school are important to Mick Cronin. So are the strong bonds he shares with his father, brother and sister, all of whom live in Cincinnati.

But those aren't the only factors that make his job as the University of Cincinnati's head basketball coach so attractive. His faith in UC president Santa Ono and athletic director Whit Babcock are just as significant.

"To me, that's more important than my salary," Cronin said. "It's the vision and the people that are in charge understanding that we've got to continue to go upward. And I'm a big part of that. You've got to ...